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Who runs The Steam Room?

Terry is the owner who is working with head barista Gary Dyke, barista Luke O’Mara and tea sommelier Nathan Moore, who was on a day off at the time of our visit.

It’s a sign of the times that nobody has a single career any more – Nathan is also a brilliantly distinctive artist and his works are on display in the cafe.

Similarly, after studying at Staffordshire University, Terry became a building surveyor working in glamorous locations like the Caribbean and the Cayman Islands – and now he’s a coffee shop owner even though he didn’t know about the fine art of making great brews.

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His own girlfriend’s brother was a coffee geek who introduced Gary to the taste of Staffordshire roasters Hasbean and the technology involved in making great brews.

A new hobby was born and Gary fell in love with the idea of a coffee career, first working directly for Hasbean until all-to regular M6 traffic nightmares started to make journeys to Stafford last three hours.

He then helped to set up the coffee making facilities at Tilt in the City Arcade on Union Street in Birmingham city centre and then at Hampton Manor – in time for the restaurant’s Michelin Star accolade.

What is The Steam Room’s ethos?

The idea is for customers to never know what their coffee will taste like – unlike the corporate giants like Costa and Starbucks which strive for ‘consistency’ over individuality.

Terry says: “We use single source coffees, so people coming here aren’t always going to get the same taste every time.

The ceiling has been covered in sacks (Image: Graham Young)

“And that’s why they keep coming back to us.”

This week’s menu board featured Finca Las Brumas from El Salvador on espresso, Pitalito from Columbia (decaf) and Finca Las Alasistas or Geisha (+50p) from Bolivia, available as either ‘washed’ or ‘natural’.

The Steam Room is on the end of a parade of shops which looks like it is now enjoying a revival with modernisation work continuing on several units and all being currently occupied.

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What are the secrets of The Steam Room?

Coffee cups and a world map (Image: Graham Young)

Head barista Gary has spent the last few years becoming obsessed with coffee and credits the likes of Yorks Bakery, Quarter Horse, 200 Degrees and Faculty in Birmingham with helping to create a coffee culture in the city.

Gary says the lattice effect you see left behind on the inside of cups from independent shops is created by the way the milk is foamed reacting with a coffee’s low pH value.

“It’s called lacing,” he smiles.

“Our coffee comes in bags that lets the C02 out but stops air getting in.

A floor has been covered in more than 2,000 1p pieces at The Steam Room (Image: Darren Quinton)

“If the beans were roasted yesterday, it’s too soon to use them.

“We start to use the beans after a week and they can last for three weeks when you start to need to add more coffee.

“But way we buy them and make the coffee, most of our drinks are made in that first-week window.”